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Ox Clan
The Ox Clan was a minor clan founded by the then-ronin Morito, and its family name was given after Morito's nickname. The Ox were heavily infiltrated by the Kolat. Customs Ox clan samurai were courteous, honorable, and gracious hosts, drawing from the more exotic traditions of the Unicorn Clan. Physical contact was not taboo among the Ox, and it was not unusual for close friends to shake hands or even embrace. Displays of emotion were boisterous and unrestrained within the comforts of one's own home. Music was loud and raucous, and the Ox had a taste for strong liquor and red meat, particularly lamb. Way of the Thief, p. 18 Celebrations of Childbirth and Funerals After a childbirth, the couple was invited to an extensive dinner as soon as the woman was able to walk, accompanied by the ingestion of a great deal of strong sake and other liquors, and usually ended up in drunken revelry. Since Morito Garin's time as Ox Clan Champion, a week-long festival was held all across the clan's territory when the Champion's wife gave birth. Funerals were actually their largest celebrations, alcohol flowing freely while deeds of the departed we recounted in a grandiose and exaggerated manner. The ashes were buried secretely somewhere in the wild parts of the Ox territory, as a form of freedom for the spirit of the deceased. Secrets of the Empire, pp. 81-82 Religion and Beliefs After the purge of the Kolat many temples were built, being popular the Fortunes of the Four Winds, the Fortune of Travels, Natsu-Togumara, and the Fortune of Battles, Hachiman. Temples devoted to the Clan's founder, a hero but also a Kolat, also included worship of his successor, the scourge of the Kolat. Secrets of the Empire, pp. 82-83 History Leaving the Unicorn In 1131 Shinjo Morito was a young samurai whose ambition to carve out a destiny of his own caused him to gather up a group of like minded bushi, including his brother Tokei, and stake a claim to land formerly owned by the Phoenix. Morito claimed that since the Phoenix could no longer protect the lands, he could take them. The Phoenix protested, but Morito constructed such a good defense they decided not to pursue the matter. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 22 Shinjo Following After the Unicorn Clan Champion Shinjo Yokatsu was cast out for being a kolat, many Shinjo joined Morito hoping to begin a new life. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 302 Morito had given those operatives he knew about prior warning, and Doji Akae helped to smuggle them to safety. Way of the Thief, p. 17 Kolat Front One in three Ox served the Steel Sect Kolat in some manner, and only one in five did so with full knowledge of whom it was they served. Most Ox Clan members were unaware of their founder's true affiliation, believing him the hero of the Empire he claimed to be. Claim Acknowledged In 1145 Morito was rewarded by Toturi for his efforts against Lion spirit armies attacking Shiro Iuchi by having his claims to the land he was occupying validated. Morito immediately sends several expensive gaijin artifacts to the Phoenix Clan as a gesture of friendship to cushion the loss of part of their land. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 24 Minor Clan Status In 1158 he was finally granted the minor clan status and founded the Ox Clan, Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 68 naming the clan after the nickname his ronin followers had given him. Morito family Name After the Toku family name was rewarded in 1165, Worldly Matters, by Shawn Carman it was realized that only the Ox did not have a family name, so Emperor Toturi III awarded the Ox their name in 1166. All existing Ox samurai were retroactively granted the name through a large-scale oath of fealty conducted simultaneously at different locations throughout the clan's lands. Fealty and Freedom, p. 76 War Amid the Shadows In 1170 Togashi Kaelung revealed the existence of the Hidden Temple, the Kolat headquarters held by the Ox and the true reason Morito claimed the Phoenix lands, to Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Paneki. Paneki immediately assembled a strike team to destroy the Kolat leadership and take control of the Hidden Temple. The team, led by Bayushi Muhito, was extremely effective and killed Morito and several other Kolat Masters. The Ox lost the Hidden Temple and its treasure, the Oni's Eye and suffered terrible casualties. It is unlikely that the Scorpion will expose the Ox as Kolat because it would also make public their control of the Oni's Eye, a fact that serves the Scorpion best as a secret. War Amid the Shadows Nearly a third of the Ox Clan's samurai died in the Scorpion attack. The War of Dark Fire, Part 4, by Shawn Carman War of Dark Fire This year the yobanjin Army of Fire attacked the Ox in the Battle of Shiro Morito. The Imperial Legions aided the OX to defeat the invaders. A yearly festival, designed by the Soshi, was hosted to celebrate their victory in that conflict. Secrets of the Empire, p. 83 Details Lands Some of the Ox Clan's lands once belonged to the Phoenix, where the Dragon Heart Plain met the Northern Wall Mountains. Fealty and Freedom, p. 77 The Ox only occupied the northern edge of the Plain, former territory of the Snake Clan. The southern border of Ox territory was a prime land to grow food. Vast and wide-open, it was defended from the waystations each viallage held, and from the small keeps scattered in these plains. It was most populated the eastern part of the plain, close to the Phoenix border. The western part was sparsely populated and had been known to hide bandits. In the north, the villages in the mountains exploited the numerous streams for both fishing and brewing sake. Some of them bred mountain ponies, used by the Ox to patrol this rugged area. In summer time long-ranging scouting parties monitored Yobanjin activity. Secrets of the Empire, p. 79 Colors The Ox were mostly identified with blue and black colors. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 70 Samurai See Samurai of the Ox Clan for a listing of notable members of the clan, both current and historic. Schools & Paths Schools The following are the basic Schools within the Ox Clan: * Morito Bushi Paths The following are the Paths and Advanced Schools within the Ox Clan. * Garin's Vigilant * Morito House Guard * Ox Sentry Politics Ox Clan Champion The Ox Clan Champion is also the Morito Daimyo since its inception in 1166. The following are the known Champions of the Ox Clan since it's founding in 1158: Vassal Family * Kijuro family See also * Morito family/Meta Category:Ox Clan Champion Ox